This invention relates to an apparatus and method for the folding of material to be packaged, particularly textiles, wherein folding elements are provided in the form of flat plates on which the textiles are placed at least partially and are then folded together by pivotal motions of movable folding flaps.
Folding elements of this type are known in practice. They serve the purpose of folding or laying together a material to be packaged, especially textiles, spread out partially on a stationary plate support and also partially or entirely on a support consisting of movable folding flaps, by means of a pivotal motion of the folding flaps of, for example, 180.degree.. Such folding flaps fulfill their purpose entirely satisfactorily, if readily foldable packaging material is involved, which primarily has the same thickness and material characteristics over-all. In case of bulky textiles, however, or textiles which contain rubber bands and the like extending therethrough, the folded condition is not retained with certainty; rather, the material to be packaged has the tendency to reassume its original, unfolded shape or at least an unintended arbitrary shape after the folding flaps have been removed, especially during a subsequent operating step.
It has also been disclosed (DOS [German Unexamined Published Application] 1,560,143) to execute, in connection with a textile material, pivotal motions by means of conveyor bars and simultaneously to clamp the conveyed material into position by means of a supporting pressure roll. This device, intended exclusively for conveying purposes, can not be utilized for the substantially more difficult operation of folding and laying a textile product, since the material is held only very unsatisfactorily.
It has furthermore been disclosed (DOS 1,955,060) to provide, in a folding process for stockings, rotatably mounted and combshaped plates on which the material to be folded is wound onto cardboard panels and thus folded; the cardboard panels and a portion of the piece of goods are clamped between the movably fashioned fingers of the comblike plates and firmly held prior to the winding step. These devices have the disadvantage that a central folding together or lateral parts of the textile products is impossible, as is required, for example, in case of underwear, tricot goods, or the like.
Therefore, this invention contemplates providing an apparatus with pivotable folding flaps of the type mentioned hereinabove, which apparatus holds the material to be folded securely, especially also with a high folding speed, in every phase of the motion and is, therefore, also usable for textile goods which are hard to fold and which have an elastic structure. The present invention also contemplates a method of folding material while holding the material securely during certain of the folding steps.
The present invention further contemplates providing apparatus with controlled grippers mounted to the folding flaps for holding the material to be packaged during folding operations.
These controlled grippers makes it possible to hold the material to be packaged securely at the folding flaps during the folding step and to fix the material in the desired shape also after termination of the folding procedure. Therefore, any unintended arbitrary movements of the material to be packaged or any subsequent unfolding are effectively prevented.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention, these grippers attached to the folding flaps are operable either during the entire folding process or also during limited periods of time. An advantageous feature of a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the grippers open prematurely shortly prior to termination of a folding step and thus become inoperative in order to make room for another operating member to carry out the next folding step or the like. In preferred embodiments, the grippers are articulated to a shaft extended along the folding flaps, which shaft, in turn, is controlled via a Bowden wire mechanically by way of cam disks. In other contemplated embodiments, the shaft is controlled electrically, electromagnetically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. The grippers proper are preferably resilient and curved in the form of fingers and mounted so that they do not collide with other grippers or with any folding flaps.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.